39th Avenue Garden

For two decades, neighbors John Jernegan and Kathy Collins have cultivated the 39th Avenue Garden, now known as the Black Lives Matter Garden (at the corner of 39th Avenue and Victor, adjacent to the EBMUD Reservoir property), for all to enjoy. Before their efforts, it was covered with asphalt and a magnet for trash and crime. Prostitution, drug dealing, and dumping were frequent, and at one point, a stolen car was even torched there! With time and lots of TLC, John and Kathy have made it a safe and beautiful place and an Oakland Adopt-A-Spot project.

Currently, John and Kathy are providing water from their own houses to keep plants alive! We applaud their efforts! Their initiative exemplifies the potential of neighbors uniting with ingenuity and passion. Sustaining this garden not only bolsters neighborhood security but also safeguards a cherished community asset. Please consider supporting their efforts.

It’s a great example of what a local microgrant program can do for our community.

39th Avenue Garden History

39th Avenue Garden belongs to the City of Oakland and is cultivated and maintained by friends and neighbors of the garden. It is here for everyone’s enjoyment.

For decades this piece of property located between the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) reservoir and the roadway was ignored and neglected by all public agencies.

There was no street curb or sidewalk, and it was covered with crumbling asphalt. To the dismay of neighbors, it became a parking lot for late-night activities and business, a dumping ground for trash, broken bottles, and the occasional abandoned stolen vehicle.

Volunteers inquired of the City of Oakland if it could be better maintained but were told it was not their property. EBMUD said their property ended at the reservoir fence line.

Neighbors spearheaded by John Jernegan and Kathy Collins took up the initial challenge to turn the lot into the 39th Avenue Garden.

Sometime around 1997, EBMUD embarked on a project to seismically retrofit three large emergency waterlines from the reservoir down 39th Avenue. Soon, large construction equipment was tearing up the strip and creating a large amount of dust, mud, and noise disturbance 6 days a week.

Neighbors complained to EBMUD and reached a settlement where EBMUD, as part of its project, would plant new trees inside the reservoir, install new curbs and a sidewalk to channel rainwater, and cover the lot with wood chips. The community took it from there.

More people joined the effort, and in 2018, got the City of Oakland to designate the park as an Adopt-A-Spot and supplied wood chips and advice. The Redwood Heights Association officially sponsored the project making financial donations tax-deductible.

You can help…

Because this is the community garden, we want everyone to feel at home and enjoy it.

The plants, garden materials, bench, and water have been donated, and the garden is weeded, watered, and improved by community volunteers. Periodically, we hold fundraisers to purchase supplies, plants, and water.

If you enjoy the community space and would like to help or donate to the effort, we would love your participation.

For more information about this project, contact: sarah94619@gmail.com